blockout 2

I've rebuilt the blockout, and it works a lot better! This time I made the staircases spiral around the circular room, which allows for a gradual climb but it does not use up too much space. I've also spaced out the level, as things seemed a bit too cramped together. The player should still be able to see the next point of interest though, leading them through the level. Another change is I've boxed in the level with more cliffs. They should limit the players view, but I have left the top of the upper cliff bare. This is so the player can look down at the route they have taken, and I can also put a nice rainforest vista in the background. The area is more like a canon now. It's looking a bit plain at the minute, but with the trees and the assets in there I'm sure it will work. 

One problem is that I can't get the collision to work still. I'm sure there is one stupid little thing I haven't ticked or something like that. I don't actually have any experience with making collision in cryengine. With the Roselyn chapel project (which was also in this engine) I made a lot of the roof carvings, which of course didn't need any. I've followed the tutorial about collision and it's still not working. I'll get it sorted though, and then I can run round and check everything works ok. From just flying round I am happy with this layout, so I'll make some place holders and improve on this by adding more detail.

Patterns

The volcanic rock of the island was often used in sculpture, but this is a very soft type of rock. This meant they were easily weathered.  This could be the reason that Bali has so many artists, as they were needed to renovate and restore the carvings that adorned temples and palaces. There was a certain formal style that artists used with the carvings, and from my research I have learnt some of these rules.

In the book 'The Art and Culture of Bali' it has diagrams of different types of carvings. Some of these need to be put specific places. For example:

'a karang bhoma or a karang sae, both of them monster heads with or without horns but with hands, is found at the central point over the entrances of all kinds'

I've seen this on lots of reference pictures, and it seems like a very important thing to put in.

'in less important spots the sculptor must place a motif called karang bintulu at the centre of a patterned section'

This is something I had seen less, and would have passed me by.

'if the carver... wants to decorate a corner, he chooses either a karang curing or karang goak motif, the upper half of a birds beak... or a karang asti, the head of an elephant with or without lower jaw'

I'd seen examples of these, but not the elephant variety. All of these, now I have the names, will be a lot easier to research and get references for. 

Although my project is not 100% accurate, as it not based on a real place, little touches of authenticity would really help sell the level. These are some other designs, that could be used around my level.